Evidence of distinct tumour-propagating cell populations with different properties in primary human hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Increasing evidence that a number of malignancies are characterised by tumour cell heterogeneity has recently been published, but there is still a lack of data concerning liver cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate and characterise tumour-propagating cell (TPC) compartments within human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

After long-term culture, we identified three morphologically different tumour cell populations in a single HCC specimen, and extensively characterised them by means of flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, karyotyping and microarray analyses, single cell cloning, and xenotransplantation in NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ/⁻ mice.

Results

The primary cell populations (hcc-1, -2 and -3) and two clones generated by means of limiting

SUBMITTER: Colombo F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3121782 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature